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Topic: San Diego Comic-Con 2006 (Read 9188 times)

My final summation of Hasbro's CC unveiling would be that of concern. I know Hasbro just reinitiated their SW toy line contracts through lucasfilm for several years recently and I'm concerned at their rate of 'new' product release. Of course it's a non- movie year and the volume of product is down but,...can I say the same for amount of new product released. I'm gonna argue that I'm seeing more new product types released this year compared to last-frankly, I'm worried that Hasbro could 'run the well dry' too soon. This isn't a typical move for Hasbro in a non-movie year. Is anyone else concerned Hasbro will 'over-fish the lake' with their overabuse of their number 1 selling toy line?! In the next 2-4 years I'll bet we'll have a year where hardly ANYTHING is put out and folks will then..realizing too late Hasbro's over surgence of product...will be complaining of a lack of product. Yes, SW is huge and there is a lot of ideas...but again, only so many. Am I overreacting to this?

Were it anyone else other than Hasbro, I'd say you might be going a bit overboard, DS, but given their track record, I think that your reaction is completely normal and based in reality. Hasbro (and by extension Kenner) has had over 10 years (this fall is the 11th anniversary of POTF2; everyone set your He-Man Lukes aflame in celebration!) to figure out this line and I don't think they're much closer now than they were back then. We still have **** case assortments, we still have **** side lines, and we still have abject denial and spite toward criticism from the fanbase.

I think what really hammered it home for me that Hasbro couldn't give a **** about what anyone but their bean counters thinks was the Wilrow Hood "joke." This is a figure that had enough fan support to wind up on the top 25, along with Yarna D'Al Gargan, and Hasbro takes a cheap shot at people who wanted them. What if either of those had won the Fan Choice poll? Would Hasbro's obvious spite toward those characters have negated the voice of the public? Would it be "Fan's Choice as long as it's not those two background characters?"

The way that many look at the "joke" is that it was a slap in the face to people (particularly Scott) who have pushed for ICMG to be made as a figure. I saw it not only as that, but also as an indication that Hasbro just won't accept something unless it is in their own vision of what SW is. People clamor for the Cloud Car and we get excuses of why it can't be made. People clamor for EU characters, and Hasbro gives us day-glo Marvel versions of the same characters (how interesting that Hasbro now has the Marvel license and these never showed up until now on anyone's radar screens). People say enough with the JSF repaints that weren't even in the cartoons or comics, but we get more because it's the most cost-effective way Hasbro has of getting toys out there to milk the prequel dollar.

There was some good stuff shown (I'm really looking forward to the Commando Box set and the Death Star Briefing set), but for every gem, you get a million things that are useless like the Marvel figures, the Saesee Tiin JSF, the white TIE with the little wings, and the continuing flogging of the Attacktix and Unleashed Battle Packs lines which, despite what the Hipster Shill at another site would have you believe, are not selling well at all in most areas, if selling at all.

Or maybe I'm just being paranoid too. At least we'll be paranoid together DS.

I think Hasbro is somewhat aware of the problem of "fishing the lake dry". That is why they do so many repaints, especially clones and JSFs. This way they keep cost low and sales "high". I honestly believe that in order to stay afloat with product that can appeal to both collectors and kids, they will continue to repaint/rehash that way the ins outweight the outs. But who knows.

All I can really say is that Hasbro's crap is making me less loyal to my hobby each day.

I think Hasbro is somewhat aware of the problem of "fishing the lake dry". That is why they do so many repaints, especially clones and JSFs. This way they keep cost low and sales "high". I honestly believe that in order to stay afloat with product that can appeal to both collectors and kids, they will continue to repaint/rehash that way the ins outweight the outs.

I disagree with you Gatillo AND..actually agree with Roton?! You can use the same lure so many times in a lake, you can paint it so many times, tweak it ect. In the end it's still the same lure and eventually the fish will stop biting it or only 10% will continue to be fooled...at this point it's time to break out a new lure again.I foresee Hasbro's fishing luck waning. I look at an overall disappointment from alot of the long-time collectors who were only impressed at little H had to show from ALL their tons of upcoming product to back my argument. I guess I'll just be worried about the future of SW toy collecting and continue to be paranoid about this then

The whole re-pack, re-pack, re-paint thing is also causing me pause. This year, it seemed digestible, but seeing what's on tap, there's not much to look forward to. I think Hasbro better leak some of the '07 waves before I stop being a one of every figure collector.

This is a figure that had enough fan support to wind up on the top 25, along with Yarna D'Al Gargan, and Hasbro takes a cheap shot at people who wanted them. What if either of those had won the Fan Choice poll?

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Would Hasbro's obvious spite toward those characters have negated the voice of the public?

Bingo.

And you wouldn't be alone if you believed (or at least were suspicious) that this election was just as rigged as the Fan Club Presidency.

Rob, if you're going to change your collecting habits with Hasbro, stop by the 12" Sideshow threads...spend that saved money on a 12" Jabba and friends!

I'm thinking about it... that Jabba is AMAZING. I'll have to peek over there and see what (if any) details are available at this point. I have lots of other things I want to do with my money as well though.

If anyone is interested, StarWars.com has audio posted from Hasbro's Presentation. We've basically heard what was said, but if you are interested in hearing things, it is available. I believe you have to be a Hyperspace member. Just thought I'd pass it along.

I guess my general summation would be that I was a bit disappointed with things as well. As a carded and loose completist, it's hard to stomach many of the repaints/rehashes/re-releases/kitbashes. Granted, that's obviously not Hasbro's fault for my obsessive compulsive buying habits, I know, and I do understand WHY they do it, but I tend to agree with others in here that they are going a bit overboard with the stuff. I know they're running out of choices for both OT and Prequel figures these days, but there ARE still some new ones that could be made, and I think seeing something more along those lines would really appease folks right now (like the RS rumor list a while back).

This is obviously why the Impy Officer DS Conference set was the highlight for me. I'm excited about the McQuarrie concept figures too, for some reason... There were a couple nice figures kitbashed into the OT tin sets as well, and the Endor Troopers were cool, but I guess I was just hoping for a little more OT news, like some new Cantina or Jabba's Palace aliens... But I guess this is something we'll all have to get used to, as well as the upcoming EU/gaming items that are obviously going to finally start playing a major role in the direction of the line. I'm not much of an EU fan, but I'll play along with that stuff, as long as they sprinkle in a few things for us old timers in the process.

And that's really what we'll be seeing in the future, I think. A lot of rehash/repaint/kitbashes, along with a good chunk of EU/Gaming/TV figures, and a sprinkling of OT and PT figures along the way. Just a question of being patient, and if you have the ability, just picking up the things that you like (which I'm completely incapable of doing myself).

I do like the direction of the Unleashed Battle Packs line though. I know a lot of people aren't fans of them, and have misplaced their anger over the 7" line's cancellation squarely on it's shoulders, but I think the new sets, and the "diorama-esque" factor this line has going for it, and the potential for larger environment pieces in the future, makes this line pretty cool, and potentially even better later on.

Tons of stuff on the way for the uber-comprehensive 3" Titanium Vehicle line too, so I'm digging what they showed for those as well.

Anyway, I was rather underwhelmed by this week's showings, but I think if I change my mindset and lower my expectations about the future of the line a bit, I'll be OK with a lot of the junk Hasbro's putting out...

I wonder if MR and Sideshow see their production expenses as investments. If they tool the Falcon correctly the first time, they'll own it for years and be able to eventually turn a good profit from it. Whereas Hasbro wanst to profit instantly on each fig. Who knows. I'm not a business major.